C Titus talks about growing up in West Oakland, how the tragic end of a fellow street king made him change his path, and new music on the way!
ABM: What is your Rap name? Tell us the story behind your hip-hop name?
CTitus: I go by C.Titus which actually stands for Caurice Titus, my real name. Although Big boy is my a.k.a., I wanted my name to represent myself for who I really am. The person and the artist has no separation, no alter ego, just me.
ABM: Has anything happened in your life that led to the decision of becoming a musician?
CTitus: Unlike most rappers today who just wake up and decide they want to do music because everyone else is doing it, I actually grew up in a music lifestyle. My dad (Caurice Titus Sr.) who was a singer/ musician, he always kept me in the studio with him from the time I could remember how to talk. I would listen to him record the same verse to a song over and over, unaware of even why he kept repeating the same words. Lol. That was my first lessons on recording. I also would hang around my older cousin Al, who would always take me to the studio in the east where his brother son b, and friend mike D produced for if not all, most of the town. I would see a lot of Oakland’s well known artist’s there, I would even see the young/great Keyshia Cole. By 14, I was inspired to start recording, but only because I was just thrown into the vocal booth to say something on one of my cousins tracks.. that was the start of it all..
ABM: How did you get your start in the hip hop scene?
CTitus: By 2005, I had already had my first shot to be on KMEL. I was in a local group called Da Famm. We would always do open mics everywhere, mingles, Sean Kennedy’s, and a long list of other spots throughout Oakland and the Bay. This was before social media, so you actually had to get it out the mud to get a buzz. We would always show up to DJ Rick Lee’s open mic and he started to take a liking to the music, so he gave us a shot.. since then I’ve done music for television and a few other things. I took a break to focus on the money, but now I’m back to make a stamp and go all in.
ABM: Where are you from, and what was it like growing up there?
CTitus: Oakland California, west Oakland to be exact. I grew up in the dirty 30’s, but today we know it as the 3rd, 3rd world. 30th and chestnut is home but my roots is Dogtown, so I spent a lot of time between them both. The life of most young kids growing up there is fast and plays a huge part in how they live today or if they are even still alive. For me, I was very fortunate to be where I am today. I could have easily been like the stereotypical cat you hear about from the town, dead, or locked up, a lot of friends have ended up there, but God had other plans for me and my life. Of course I have had my share of some of the same challenges as most young men from Oakland but I also had some great Influences that help to steer me on the path I’m on now. Though I sold drugs and tried a little of the P life, I managed to figure out the life of being a man with a 9-5. Having the opportunity to grow up around a west Oakland legend named Wayne Barfield before he was killed gave me a different perspective on hustling in Oakland. It taught me about business and actually working a regular job, but that story is for another time.
ABM: What are your last full length releases people can go check out right now?
CTitus: Right now you go to all musical platforms and check out the single “Fast Lane” by myself featuring Black Albert. My next single I want you to be on the lookout for is “Yeah”, dropping in June.
ABM: What are you currently working on?
CTitus: Right now I am currently working on a mixtape named “Protege”, which will be dropping in August.
ABM: What’s your last visual release people can check out, tell us about it.
CTitus: I will be shooting the visual to “Yeah” in May, so be on the lookout for it.
ABM: Where have you toured at in your career?
CTitus: I have done a few shows around the Bay Area throughout my career, but this is the time for me to take that part of my career to the next level.
ABM: Any business ventures you wanna tell the public about?
CTitus: I am currently working with a childhood friend of mines to create a film company, and also have partnered with a celebrity clothing designer out of Los Angeles by the name of Tebo Dambe. We have somethings in the works right now, but it’s all about timing.
ABM: What is your ultimate goal at the end of your career?
CTitus: My ultimate goal is to first Influence the music culture around the world, open doors of opportunity for music/entertainment and business scene at home like the south or the east coast have, and most importantly, make an impact to change the world in a positive way.
ABM: How can people reach you?
CTitus: I can be reached by all my social media handles or email: www.ctitusmusic@gmail.com
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/caurice.titus
Ig- http://instagram.com/ctitusmusic
Twitter- https://mobile.twitter.com/CauriceTitus
SoundCloud- https://soundcloud.com/ctitusmusic
